- Earth’s Mightiest Heroes return with a new foe
- Movie will also debut Robert Downey Jr as Dr Doom
- Movie will arrive in theaters in 2026
Marvel produced a huge surprise last year when the company unmasked Robert Downey Jr as the MCU’s Dr Doom. It also means Avengers: Doomsday is hugely anticipated.
The latest Avengers film had originally been titled The Kang Dynasty was planned to focus on the team battling Kang the Conquerer. However, when Jonathan Majors, who played Kang, was convicted of assault, Marvel sacked him and decided to pivot away from the character.
The pivot was to another iconic Marvel antagonist – and antihero – Dr Doom. Doom, while a fixture in the comics for decades, has not previously appeared in the MCU.
It was then in July that Marvel produced the shock of who would take on the role, unveiling Downey at a special event.
Here is all we know about Avengers: Doomsday.
Who is starring in Avengers: Doomsday
Avengers: Doomsday is set to have a stellar cast, with many iconic names from the MCU confirmed or rumored to be making a return.
Downey Jr has, as mentioned, been cast as Dr Doom. This is a surprise return to the MCU for Downey Jr, who played Iron Man for more than a decade, before the character died at the end of Avengers: Endgame.
Another rumored returnee is Chris Evans. Having played Captain America in many MCU movies, he seemingly bowed out too at the end of Endgame. But he has been convinced to return – although Marvel has yet to formally confirm this.
In late January 2025, Evans publically denied he’d be returning for Avengers: Doomsday. Variety reports that Anthony Mackie, who played Sam Wilson/Falcon in the series spoke to Evans about returning. When the rumors swirled, he claimed Evans denied them.
Speaking to Esquire, he said: “I talked to Chris a few weeks ago and it wasn’t on the table then. At least, he didn’t tell me it was on the table, because I asked him. I was like, ‘You know, they said they’re bringing everyone back for the movie. Are you coming back?’ He goes, ‘Oh, you know, I’m happily retired.'”
Evans himself spoke to Esquire about the rumors and said, “That’s not true, though”. Well, time will tell.
Sam Wilson – played by Anthony Mackie – took over as Captain America in Endgame and will also be part of Avengers: Doomsday. His own film, Captain America: Brave New World, will be released later this year.
Allied to Steve Rogers is another surprising returnee, Agent Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell). She too seemed to have bowed out with a “perfect ending” according to Atwell at the end of Endgame, but it also returning.
Currently, there are rumors about many other MCU favorites including Tom Holland (Spider-Man) and Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), but none have yet been confirmed.
Who is writing and directing Avengers: Doomsday
The Russo brothers – Anthony and Joe – will be directing Avengers: Doomsday. This is their return to the MCU, having directed several films in the series in the past, including Captain America: The Winter Solider, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.
They are also writing the script, in collaboration with Stephen McFeely. The script is still being written, and is expected to be finished in March, just before production begins.
What is the plot
Marvel is currently keeping major plot details under wraps – not surprisingly as the script is still being written.
But we do have snippets of what to expect. Obviously, Dr Doom will be central to the plot. He will no doubt come up against the Avengers – and others who haven’t been part of the MCU’s team so far (but have been in the team in the comics).
For instance, Spider-Man is widely expected to feature, as Spider-Man 4 is scheduled to come out three months after Doomsday and its plot could be influenced by the events in this film. Here is all we know about Spider-Man 4.
We also know that it will be a part of the multiverse saga, which has been ongoing for some years. This could be the way that characters such as Steve Rogers and Peggy Carter are brought back.
Once filming commences in Spring of this year, we will find out more about how the movie might shape up.
When will Avengers: Doomsday be released
Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled to hit theaters on May 1, 2026. The first trailer is not expected until late this year.
Box office predictions
With the names involved, expectations are high for the film at the global box office. The current biggest grossing MCU films are Avengers: Endgame, which took $2.8 billion and Avengers: Infinity War ($2 billion).
Conclusion
While the MCU has dipped in popularity since Avengers: Endgame and the Spider-Man trilogy, with several films underperforming at the box office, there is currently huge anticipation for the upcoming films.
Deadpool & Wolverine reignited interest in the MCU last year – it was the second-biggest grossing film of 2024 – and Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts* are coming this year. But with Avengers: Doomsday set to bring back old favorites, as well as Dr Doom, fans are keen to see the next step in the MCU.
